KONKANI FICTION IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION: A CRITICAL STUDY THESIS Submitted to GOA UNIVERSITY For the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English by Ms. Glenis Maria D’Souza née Mendonça Under the guidance of Dr. (Mrs.) Kiran J. Budkuley Professor and Head, Department of English, Goa University, Taleigao Plateau, Goa India 403 521 September, 2016. CERTIFICATE As required under the University Ordinance, OB-9.9(viii), I hereby certify that the thesis entitled, Konkani Fiction in English Translation: A Critical Study, submitted by Ms. Glenis Maria D’Souza née Mendonça for the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English has been completed under my guidance. The thesis is the record of the research work conducted by the candidate during the period of her study and has not previously formed the basis for the award of any Degree, Diploma, Associateship, Fellowship or other similar titles to her by this or any other University. Dr. (Mrs.) Kiran J. Budkuley Research Guide, Professor and Head, Department of English, Goa University. Date: ii DECLARATION As required under the University Ordinance OB-9.9(v), I hereby declare that the thesis entitled, Konkani Fiction in English Translation: A Critical Study, is the outcome of my own research undertaken under the guidance of Dr. (Mrs.) K. J. Budkuley, Professor and Head, Department of English, Goa University. All the sources used in the course of this work have been duly acknowledged in the thesis. This work has not previously formed the basis of any award of Degree, Diploma, Associateship, Fellowship or other similar titles to me, by this or any other University. Ms. Glenis Maria D’Souza née Mendonça Research Student Department of English Goa University Taleigao Plateau, Goa Date: iii Acknowledgement Gratitude is the positive expression of acknowledgement and appreciation. Born of spontaneity and optimism, it can overwhelm one’s heart with emotion as it brims over with a warm ‘thank-you’. The light at the end of this turbulent journey has suddenly begun to flicker, and it is time to wrap up this entire experience by acknowledging the help and support rendered during this voyage. I begin by expressing a heartfelt thank-you to my guide Prof. Kiran J. Budkuley, who has been the driving force behind this enterprise; a patient mentor, meticulous supervisor and above all a light-house to every step along this journey. I am indebted to my Principal, Dr. Sr. Aradhana A.C. and to all my friends at Carmel College-Nuvem, particularly Roxana Singh and Dr. Brian Mendonça from the Department of English, for supporting me to undertake this research. I thank the Vice Chancellor’s nominee Dr. Maria Isabel Santa Rita Vas for her constant help and guidance. My teachers from the Department of English at Goa University: Prof. K.S. Bhat, Prof. Nina Caldeira and Dr. R. Fernandes, can never be thanked enough for all their unconditional help rendered even at odd times. I appreciate the co-operation of the office staff in particular Smt. Nutan Mohite, Smt. Felicidade Cardoso and Shri. Santosh Halarnkar as well as the staff from the Admin Section of the University. I am grateful to the teachers from the Department of Konkani, in particular the Head, Dr. Prakash Parienkar, Adv. Uday Bhembre (Kavivarya Bakibab Borkar Chair under VRPP) and others who helped with their advice and even offered personal copies of their books. I am greatly warmed by the kind co-operation of various translators, authors, editors and critics of Konkani fiction, who without restraint, consented to give me their time to conduct personal interviews and made themselves available for any clarification if/when required. Some of them even offered me personal copies of their books, for which I place on record my gratitude. I appreciate the cooperation and support of the Staff of Goa Konkani Akademi, Sahitya Akademi- Mumbai, Central Library- Panjim and Goa University Library. I also place iv on record my thanks to the Academic Staff College and Department of English of Panjab University- Chandigarh, where I got the opportunity to do a Refresher Course in Translation Studies which provided the initial orientation into the realm of Translation Studies. Likewise, the three trips to World Konkani Centre, Mangaluru along with my Guide, to participate in Seminars and Workshops on Translation, opened new vistas to foster a deeper understanding of the subject. The inputs and ideas learnt during these programs were indeed helpful. For this, I am grateful to Shri. Basti Vaman Shenoy and Shri. Gurudath Baliga, President and Vice-President respectively, of W.K.C- Mangaluru, for their perennial support. Ph.D. would have been almost an unaccomplished dream if the UGC sanctioned study leave (XII Plan, FDP) was not granted to me, given my professional and familial engagements. The two years of full time study at Goa University, with all infrastructure and facilities provided by the Department of English, were very useful. I thank the University Grants Commission as well as the Office staff of Carmel College who helped me with all the required paper-work to avail this leave. My friends and fellow research scholars from the Departments of English and Konkani need a word of appreciation, for silently being there for me through thick and thin. In particular, I wish to thank Ms. Svetlana Fernandes for physically being there and sharing precious moments of brain-storming with me. Words fail me as I attempt to say how blessed I feel to have a supportive family: my parents, in-laws, brother, sister-in-law and all my close buddies who rendered support and wished me well. Most of all, at the end of three years well spent, I thank my dearest hubby Gordon, who gave me his full-time at home and took care of our little darlings Reinaldo and Angel, while I locked myself in the study, trying hard to meet deadlines. To all of you who murmured a silent prayer for me… Dev borem korum! Glenis Maria D’Souza née Mendonça v PREFACE Research for me has been a challenging journey of delving into a new terrain, hitherto unexplored. Much earlier it was only a distant dream, a silent desire to embark on this voyage knowing pretty well that there would be unforeseen roller-coaster rides, breath- taking views and new discoveries along the way. After more than a decade-long break from being a University student, it was a challenge to enter my Alma-Mater and enrol myself as a student for Ph.D. It was a bold step, nevertheless, but it was either now or never! Research is doubly valuable if it can positively contribute to the culture and region one lives in. Being born and brought up in Goa, with Konkani as my mai-bhas (mother- tongue), it gave me bright inspiration to work on the literature of the land where I was born. Thus, the idea of working on ‘Konkani fiction in English translation’, germinated and grew steadfastly. As an Assistant Professor in English, working in a College in the State of Goa, there was a deep desire to learn something new through research. This would in turn help me garner new insights and critical thinking into two subjects which were being taught as part of the B.A. syllabus i.e. Translation (S.Y.B.A. Allied) and Goan Writing (T.Y.B.A). Interest in studying translated texts was further built by the unstinted motivation received from my guiding teacher. She watered the seed she had unknowingly planted as my teacher a decade ago with a positive orientation, and faithfully nourished it with good guidance. That seed has burgeoned into a full-fledged tree; new perspectives have emerged, new ideas have sprouted--- the flowers and fruits of hard labour are there for all to see, judge and partake! Re-reading Konkani novels and short stories with a critical lens has been a challenging enterprise. Reading in two different languages /scripts and using critical discourses like Translation Studies, Feminism, and the fairly recent ones like Subaltern Studies and Green Studies, has indeed been enriching and mind boggling at the same time. I may have drowned in despair, but the numerous hours spent brain-storming for new ideas and perspectives have made me build bridges to reach across brighter shores of critical thinking. Imagine taking a Konkani text to a new critical level; using contemporary vi discourses and critical insights to break fresh grounds for new revelations! The task has been simply exhilarating! A critical study of Konkani fiction in English translation has been an achievement in itself: it has contributed to Konkani literature in the English language; it has infused a new critical verve into a Bhasha literature which was seldom read critically in English translation; it has seen the ‘inside-story’ of the process of translation from the Source text to the Target text---- the challenge of doing such an inter-disciplinary study has been enormous! This research experience has brought along with it growth and a wealth of knowledge. Digging through archives, interviewing translators and authors, hunting for books in libraries, talking to editors and literati, has made me grow in experience. Where secondary data was scarce, I have learnt to use primary texts as my sole resource to take recourse to gather critical insights through a close, insightful ‘sub-text reading’. With able guidance, I have tried to break fresh grounds into Konkani short stories and novels, studying them in the original as well as in translation, with critical discourses as kaleidoscopes to foster a multi-dimensional perception into them. The journey has finally reached full-circle in three years and the findings, I trust, are worth looking at a second time.